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| | Friday, February 18 | |||||
ESPN.com | ||||||
| Former Massachusetts coach John Calipari told ESPN.com on Friday that he is not interested in the Georgia Tech position, and that the school and Calipari will go in different directions. Calipari said that he was saddened to hear Bobby Cremins was retiring after 19 seasons at Georgia Tech at the end of the season. Cremins, who had three years remaining on his contract, was given a $1.5 million buyout.
"I've never been contacted by Georgia Tech," said Calipari when contacted by ESPN.com on Friday night. He added that he spoke with Cremins concerning the position three weeks ago. Calipari, currently an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers, wanted to make sure that he wasn't involved in any job searches while current coaches were in place. That's why he said he wouldn't visit Memphis until interim coach Johnny Jones was informed he was no longer a candidate for the job on a permanent basis. Calipari has had recent conversations with Memphis athletics director R.C. Johnson. Calipari is Memphis' top choice for the position, but if he decides not to take the job, the Tigers will go to their second list (Tulsa's Bill Self, Xavier's Skip Prosser and N.C. State's Herb Sendek). With Calipari out of the picture at Georgia Tech, sources have confirmed that the likely candidates are Tulsa's Self, Oklahoma's Kelvin Sampson, Dayton's Oliver Purnell, Miami's Leonard Hamilton and Tulane's Perry Clark. Cremins' decision to resign Friday could help keep the top unsigned high school senior within Georgia Tech's reach. Darius Rice, a 6-foot-9 forward from Lanier High in Jackson, Miss., visited Georgia Tech last weekend -- his fifth and final recruiting visit. Rice told ESPN.com that he wanted to help Cremins resurrect Georgia Tech, but loved the fact that the school was in the ACC and in Atlanta, a six-hour drive from home. He has also visited Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), Arkansas and Mississippi State."I'm still looking at the school. I thought it was a good situation for me regardless of who the coach was," said Rice, who will sign a letter of intent in April.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His Weekly Word on college basketball runs Thursdays throughout the season. | ALSO SEE Cremins to resign as Georgia Tech coach Cremins sought one more chance The Weekly Word on college basketball  | |||||